I’ll summarize some of the key points, but once again, to fully appreciate it, you need to listen to the whole thing. Throughout the conversation, Musk utilizes a method that I’ve long admired when dealing with the mainstream press. He, specifically, does not accept unverified premises that make up biased queries. When a reporter says anything that is intended to put you into a corner, have them prove it.
Clayton tries to imply early in the video that hate speech is more frequent on Twitter since Musk’s takeover because there are not enough content monitors.
Musk begins to prod Clayton for specific instances after some back and forth. The correspondent is unable to provide any. Musk knows that he’s got him now, and that rhetorical knife is being thrust further.
MUSK: You claim to have seen more hostile content, yet you can’t give even one example.
CLAYTON: I don’t think I’ve utilized that feed in the past three or four weeks.
MUSK: Then how did you come upon that cruel content?
Midway through the tape, the BBC reporter is clearly rattled, so he resorts to an old standby: citing “experts” to illustrate a claim that those experts have not established themselves. Musk responds that “people are going to say all kinds of nonsense,” noting that Clayton has yet to show even one instance of the “hateful content” he claims is more widespread.
Clayton then abruptly attempts to change subjects to the COVID “misinformation” designation on Twitter, which Musk deleted immediately after taking control of the company. From there, the conflict becomes a rout. Musk reminds him that the BBC spreads a lot of misinformation regarding COVID in terms of mask and vaccine efficacy, and the reporter changes the subject once more. I’m going to let you hear the last part of the clip to see how it ended.
To summarize, it is how you deal with a hostile reporter attempting to push a story. I have never fully comprehended why more individuals, whether in politics or others, fail to go into interviews ready to contest the premises they are sure will be hurled at them. If a reporter claims that anything is happening, force them to present their work since most of the time, they haven’t. Musk was not willing to accept broad generalizations about “hate speech” in this case, and he pressed the matter until he won. That’s exactly how it’s done.
